Quercus is a large genus of the plant family Fagaceae consisting of approximately 600 species of trees and shrubs native to the Northern Hemisphere. In English, these plants are ordinarily referred to as oaks. Various oaks find usage for timber in the production of hardwood lumber, construction timbers and for cooperage. Oaks constitute important wildlife trees, providing habitat for many native animals as well as producing acorns used as food by both by humans and animals. Oaks mature into attractive, long lived trees frequently utilized in landscape plantings. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Quercus fusiformis, an evergreen oak native from southwest Oklahoma, through Texas into northeast Mexico. Quercus fusiformis is also known as Texas Live Oak, Escarpment Live Oak and Plateau Live Oak. For many years, selected open pollinated seedlings of this species have been sold under the cultivar name ‘Heritage’ live oak. Quercus fusiformis is the most cold hardy Live Oak, tolerating temperatures down to −10 F. Texas Live Oak possesses excellent tolerance to alkaline, somewhat saline soils and to droughty conditions, resulting in this species being widely utilized in managed landscapes throughout the southwestern United States.
In 2003 the inventor grew out a lot of 5000 seedlings in a cultivated area near Sahuarita, Ariz. From these plants, one individual possesses the unique combination of dark colored leaves, dense crown structure, upright growth form and excellent adaptation to local conditions with low mast production which is the object of this application.